Detecting device for magnetizable members



Oct. 21, 1952 R. c. HOFF 2,

DETECTING DEVICE FOR MAGNETIZABLEI MEMBERS Filed May 19, 1950 2 SHEETSr-SHEET 1 INVEN TOR.

Row/mo C. Herr B M Z R. C- HOFF DETECTING DEVICE FOR MAGNETIZABLE MEMBERS Oct. 21, 1952 Filed May 19, 1956 2 SHEETS--SHEE T 2 0 M W 4 w HQW f 5 4 4 I 3 Z M 4 4 z 2 2 1 M 9 a: 0 4 i 1 7 9 a 4 3 ll 3 2 D 9 2 m I I I IHH 8 T 6 I 7 "k z 2 f w f J 5 4 R Z/ 7 i 4 2 23 l 5 A F I INVENTOR. RONALD C. HOFF BY Patented Oct. 21, 1952 UNITED DETECTING DEVICE FOR MAGNETIZABLE MEMBERS Ronald C. Hofi, Erie, Pa., assignor to Eriez Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 19, 1950, Serial No. 163,071

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to detecting devices and more particularly to means for automatically detecting the absence of a magnetic cap or crown from a bottle or other non-magnetic container.

Devices of this character, made in accordance with the teachings of the prior art, have utilized different forms 01- feelers to complete a circuit to actuate an alarm or energize a light. Mechanical detectors have been a possible source of contamination to the contents of the bottle or con tainer without a cap thereon. Electronic detectors are expensive to manufacture and the average maintenance man in a shop cannot repair them and keep them in running order. Furthermore, these electronic detectors require frequent adjustments.

Beverage bottles and other types of beverage and food containers are capped in automatic machinery whereby the bottles or containers pass along a conveyor in aligned positions. Foreign particles, damaged caps, wear on the capping device, mechanical failure of the capping device, and other causes permit bottles or other containers to pass the mechanical capper without being capped. If the absence of a cap can be detected immediately, the machine can be stopped and the failure of the machine to cap the bottles or containers can be adjusted or repaired immediately and they can be run back through the machine without loss of the product. If the uncapped bottle or container is permitted to go to the pasteurizer or out of a sterile atmosphere, the product in the container is lost. ihis loss may be great since a failure frequently continues until it is manually corrected.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to overcome the above and other defects in present detecting devices in general and it is more particularly an object of my invention to provide a detecting device for detecting the absence of a magnetic cap or crown from a bottle or other non-magnetic container which is simple in construction, economical in cost, economical in manufacture, efficient in operation, and easy to install and maintain.

Another object of my invention is to provide a detector for detecting the absence of magnetizable caps on a container which touches no part of the bottle or container in an area thereof later to be inside thereof or engaged by the cap.

Another object of my invention is to provide a detector for use in conjunction with a bottle capping machine for detecting the absence of a magnetizable bottle cap which requires no adjustment 2 other than the original setting for the size of the bottle or container, which requires no maintenance except the possible replacement of light bulbs, which signals the fact that power i being fed to the detector, and which signals that an uncapped container has passed the detector.

Another object of my invention is to provide a detector for detecting the absence of magnetizable caps on bottles" passing thereby which can be readily mounted, removed, or adjusted on a mounting bracket to accommodate different sized bottles or containers, the mounting bracket being readily attached to any conventional capping machine now in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a detecting device for use in conjunction with a bottle capping machine for detecting the absence of magnetizable bottle caps on bottles mounted on a bracket whereby lights, an audible signal, or any other suitable signal may be actuated thereby, all of said elements being supported on the bracket to provide a complete self-contained unit.

Another object of my invention is to provide a detector for detecting the absence of magnetizable bottle caps on bottles passing thereby which is protected against the entrance of liquids.

Another object of my invention is to provide a detector for detecting the absence of magnetic caps on non-magnetizable containers which utilizes permanent magnets to detect the absence of a bottle cap on a bottle or container.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevational view of my novel detecting device for detecting the absence of a magnetic cap from a non-magnetic bottle Or container;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of my novel detecting device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through my novel detecting device;

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 with the wiring system shown diagrammatically;

Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line 55 of Fig.1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of my novel detecting device; and

Fig. 'I is a fragmentary sectional view of another modified form of my novel detecting device.

I will describe my invention, for the purposes of illustration, as applied to bottle caps although it may be applied to any other use in which it has an application.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in Figs. 1 to inclusive an inverted U-shaped support bracket having outwardly flanged feet 2 for attachment to a flanged base 3 as shown in Fig. 4. Th flanged base 3 has upwardly extending sides 4. An indexing member 6 extends through an aperture 1 in the base 3 and it has an intermediate offset portion 5 and a finger 8 extending laterally outwardly from the botom end thereof for engaging the side of a bottle or container. The upper end of the indexing member 6 is attached to the underside of the top 9 of the inverted bracket I, the member 6 being elastic and laterally yieldable. An arm extends transversely of the base 3 andit is attached to the upwardly extending side 4 of the base 3 by a hinge member I2. The end of the member opposite to the hinged end thereof is flanged upwardly at 3 and a magnet H is disposed thereagainst. A vertically extending limiting member I5 has a right angled upper end I6 with an armature I! attached thereto for attraction of the magnet I4 carried on the end of the arm I A spring 2| urges the magnet M on the arm I| toward the armature H. The arm II also has a right angled bracket I8 disposed. intermediate the upper side thereof carrying an inclined support platform I9 for supporting a magnet thereon. A magnet 22 is secured to the underside of the arm intermediate thereof, the magnet22 being influenced by magnetic bottle or other container caps passing the finger 8 of the indexing member 6. A spring 95 urges the offset portion 5 of the indexing member 6 into locking engagement with the arm A bracket 23 is secured to the upper side 5 of the bracket I and it has opposed yieldable arcuate support fingers 24 for detachably carrying in an inclined position a magnetic mercury switch 25 spaced a predetermined distance above the magnet 2!] when the magnet 29 is in an inoperative position as in Fig. 4 and being parallel thereto. The mercury switch 25 is conventional and has a fixed contact 2! and a movable contact 210. adapted to be bridged by a mass of mercury or other electrical conducting fluid material 28 movable in a non-magnetic bulb or container 29.

The contact 21 of the mercury switch 25 connects with wire 3| leading to wire 32. and an incandescent lamp 33. The incandescent lamp 33 is connected to the plug by wires 34, 35, and 36. A horn 3'! is connected by wires 38 and 39 to wires 3| and 35, respectively. The incandescent lamp 33 and the horn 3"| are energized when the contacts 2'! and 21a of the switch 25 are bridged by the mercury 28. The movable contact 21a is connected to the plug 40 by wires 42 and 43. :A second incandescent lamp 44 is connected by Wires 45 and 46 to the wires 43 and 36 respectively and to the plug 43 which may be plugged in any conventional socket to provide electric power for the energization of my novel detecting device. A reset cam 5Dis fixed to and extends radially outwardly from. one end of a shaft 5| journalled in apertures in a'bracket 52 and one side of the bracket I, respectively. A stop 53 is mounted on one side of the bracket I to limit the upward movement of an arm 54 secured to and extending radially outwardly from the shaft 5|. A spring 55 urges the arm 54 upwardly against the stop 53. The cam 50 is adaptedto engage the arm H to set it in a position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 whereby the lamp 33 and horn 3! are de-energized. A handle 56 is disposed on the outer end of the shaft 5|.

All parts of my novel detecting device other than the magnets are preferably non-magnetic.

The lamps 33 and 44 are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4 but in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, lenses 60 on sleeves 6| are shown disposed in apertures 62 in the front portion of a housing 63 which is attached to the upwardly extending sides 4 of the base 3 by screws 64. The lamps 3 and 44 are disposed behind the lenses 60 in sockets 65. The lenses 60 may be of any desired color. The housing 63 has an upwardly extending supporting bracket 66 mounted on the upper side thereof and attached thereto with an aperture 6! for receiving an arm 68 mounted on a vertically adjustable bracket 69 movable vertically on a standard 10. The bracket 69 is locked in any predetermined positionby a locking screw ll. The bracket 66 is movable along the arm 68 and is secured in any desired position by a locking screw 12. The vertical shaft or standard HI may be secured to any suitable portion of a capping machineor any other suitable support means. I have only shown the support in the drawings for the purposes of illustration to show one type of support which may be used with my novel detectin v device although it will be evident that any suitable form of support means may be utilized. Guide rails 13 are provided in conjunction with a guiding member 14 to guide the bottles or other containers into the magnetic path of my novel detecting device.

In operation, mynovel detecting device is set up on a bottle capping machine at some point on the conveyor line beyond the capper. I have shown a form of support which may be secured to conventional bottle capping machines, many of which have tapped holes for securing the standard 10 thereto. The guidin member I4 and finger 8 on the indexing member 6 are set in a predetermined relationship to the cap on the bottles moving on the conveyor by moving the bracket 66 along the horizontal arm 68 and securing it at a predetermined position by the locking screw 12 and moving the bracket 68 on the standard 10. The arm II is then set in a horizontal position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by rotation of the shaft 5| through the handle 56 on the end thereof, the cam 5|] on the shaft 5| engaging the arm H to move it to a position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The spring 55 urges the arm 54 upwardly. The detecting device is set up over the conveying line so that the top of a cap on a bottle on the conveyor is a predetermined distance from the magnet 22 whereby the magnetic attraction of the caps will hold the arm II in a horizontal position against the force of the spring 2|. The force of the spring 2| is comparatively light so that the magnetic force between a bottle cap and magnet 22 is slightly greater than the force of the spring 2|. The plug 40 is plugged in any suitable socket so that the lamp 44 is energized to indicate that the detecting device is energized.

As bottles move along the conveying line beneath my detecting device, the finger 8 on the indexing arm 6 is progressively engaged by the topsof the bottles thereby moving the offset portion 5 thereof against the force of the spring out of the upwardly swinging path of the arm so that the magnet 20 may move adjacent the bulb 29 of the switch 25 to actuate the switch 25 when there is no cap on a bottle to attract the magnet 22. As long as bottles passing along the conveyor line and beneath the detector have magnetic caps thereon, the magnet 22 will be attracted to the caps thereby preventing the rise of the arm I l to which the magnet 22 is attached to energize the switch 25 and the horn 31 and the lamp 33 in circuit therewith. When a bottle passes the detector without a cap, the indexing arm 6 is moved against the force of the spring 95 out of the upwardly swinging path of'the arm II the same as when engaged by a capped bottle; however, there is no cap to attract the magnet 22 and the spring 2! pushes one end of the arm I! upwardly, the attraction of the magnet M to the armature I! also tending to draw the arm H upwardly. I provide the magnet I4 and armature ll so that the upward movement. of the arm I I is fast and positive. With a spring 2| alone, there is less force as it expands and there would be considerable vibration before the arm H came to rest. The magnet 14 and armature l1 eliminate this. Upon the upward movement of the arm H, the magnet 26 will also move upwardly therewith immediately adjacent to the underside of the tube 29 of the mercury switch 25. The magnet 2i) will then attract the contact 21a and it moves into the mercury '28 in the tube 29 of the mercury switch 25 thereby bridgingthe con tacts 27 and 27a and causing the energization of the horn 31 and lamp 33. The circuit for lamp 33 consists of plug 49. wires '43 and 42, contact 210., mercury 28, contact Zl', wires 3i and 32, lamp 33, and wires 34, 35; and 36 back to the plug 49. The horn 31 is energized through the same circuit in that the wires 38 and 39 connected thereto are connected across wires 3! and 35. Thus, the lamp 33 and born 3'! will continue to be energized until the arm II is reset by the reset cam 50. Any suitable form of visual or audible signal may be energized by my novel detecting device, or the capping machine itself may be stopped or a reject mechanism may be actuated without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of my invention in which all elements are the same as those in my device shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive except the switch. In 6, I show a flanged base 79, a hinged arm Ill carrying a magnet Ilia, a spring H2, a vertically extending limiting member I13 with a right angled upper end H4, and an armature H5 the same as the corresponding elements shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Instead of using a mercury switch, I show contact members H8 and ill, the contact member 116 being carried by the arm 1H and the contact member 17! carried by a support plate H8 attached to the top of the limiting member H3. The contacts 176 and H! have wires [l9 and I80 connected thereto which may be connected with the wires 3! and 4 2 inthe wiring system shown in Fig. 4 to energize the lamp 33 and horn 31 upon engagement of the contact members 176 and I'll. The operation of the modified form of my invention is the same as that described for my novel detecting device shown. in. Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

The modified form of my invention shown in Fig. '7 has all elements the same as those shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive except that a mechanically operated warning system is substituted for the electrical switch. In Fig. 7, I show a flanged base 81, a hinged arm 82 carrying a magnet 83, a spring 93, a vertically extending limiting member 84 with a right angled upper end 85, and an armature 86 the same as similar elements shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. The arm 82 has a right angled bracket 87 secured to the upper side thereof in engagement with a bent arm 88 fixed to a transversely extending shaft 89 in a housing 90. Also fixed to the shaft 89 is an arm 9| extendingoutwardly of the housing 90 with an enlarged head 92 on the outer end thereof. In operatiomthe arm 82 with the bracket 81 moves upwardly when the magnet (not shown) carried on the under side thereof is not attracted by a magnetic bottle cap thereby raising the arm 88 which rotates the shaft 89 and the arm'fll carrying-the enlarged head 92. An operator will notice that the en larged head 92 is extending upwardly from the housing 90 as shown in dotted lines which is a signal that a bottle has passed the detecting de 1 vice Without a cap. The enlarged head 92 may also be used as a knocker for striking a bell (not shown). The bell may be disposed on the upper side of the housing thereby providing a visual signal as well as an audible signal.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that I have provided a novel detecting device for automatically detecting the absence of a'magnetic cap or crown from a bottle or other nonmagnetic container passing within a predeter mined distance below the detecting device in an aligned position. in which no part thereof touches the bottle or container in an area, later to be in side of or contacted by the cap, which may be adjusted horizontally or vertically, which requires practically no maintenance, one in which visual means or audible means indicate that power is being fed to the detector and one in which any other suitable signalling means or any other switching means may be actuated when a cap is absent from a container, which may be readily adapted for use on any conventional bottlecapping machine now in use, which is protected against the entrance of liquids, and which is very economical in cost and manufacture and eflicient in operation.

Various changes may be made in the specific embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for detecting theabsence of magnetizable members from conveyed magnetizable and non-magnetizable members comprising a magnet disposed a predetermined distance from passing conveyed members for attraction thereby, means for yieldingly supportin said magnet, a control member actuated upon the movement of said support member away from said conveyed members upon the absence of magnetizable members, and means for normally holding said support member and magnet in a predetermined position relative to said conveyed members, said holding means being releasable from said support member upon actuation thereof by passing conveyed magnetizable and non-magnetizable members being conveyed thereby. o

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control member has a signalling member which is actuated thereby,

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said device includes an inclined mercury switch con nected to signalling means and a second magnet is supported by said yieldable support member movable adjacent to said mercury switch upon release of said support member to actuate said switch.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support member carries a second magnet engageable with an armature a predetermined distance therefrom for limiting the movement of said support away from said conveyed members and for accelerating and positively securing said support member in aprede'termined position in engagement with said control member.

5. In combination with a cappingmachine, a detecting device for detecting the absence of magnetizable caps on conveyed non-magnetic containers comprising amagnet spaced a predetermined distance above the tops of the containers for attraction thereby, yieldable support means for said magnet, a switch, means for urging said support means towards said switch, signalling means electrically connected to said switch, a source of electrical power connected to said switch for energizing said signalling means upon the actuation of said switch, means movable with said support means for actuating said switch when said magnet is not attracted by the caps on the containers passing thereby, and means normally restrainingthe movement of said support means progressively actuated by conveyed containers to free the path of said support means whereby said switch may be actuated.

6. In combination with a capping machine, a detecting device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said switch is a mercuryrswitch and a second magnet isicarried by said support means for H movement adjacent said mercury switch to actuate same.

'7. In combination witha capping machine, a detecting device as set forth in claim 5 wherein a reset member is provided for moving said switch actuating means away from said switch to de-energize same.

8. In combination with a capping machine, a detecting device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said support means is spring urged and a second magnet'is carried thereby adapted to engage an armature normally spaced therefrom when said first mentioned magnet is not attracted by a magnetizable cap.

9. In combination with a capping machine for containers, a detecting device for detecting the absence of a magnetizable cap on a non-magnetizable container conveyed from said capping machine comprising asupport member, means for urging said support membe away from said conveyed containers, a magnet carried by said support'member adapted to be attracted by the caps on containers passing thereby a predetermined distance therefrom,a switch, a source of power connected to said switch, means carried by said supporting member for energizing said switch, signalling means connected to said switch, and support member holding means progressively actuated by said containers for progressively freeing said support-member whereby it may move toward said switch.

10. In combination with a capping machine for containers, a detecting device asset forth in claim 9 wherein said switch. is a switch with a, movable 8 liquid electrical conducting mass therein with fixed and amovable contact member and a second magnet'is carried on top of said support member adapted to attract said movabl contact member and move it into said electrical conducting mass to actuate said switch when a cap is absent from a container and said support member moves toward said switch.

11. In combination with a capping machine for containers, a. detecting device as set forth in claim 9 wherein guiding means guide the'tops of containers in a predetermined magnetic path in passing said detecting device.

12. A device for detecting the absence of members from conveyed magnetizable and non-magnetizable members comprising a housing, a hinged support member in said housing, a magnet carried on the underside of said support membe;- adapted to be disposed a predetermined distance from said conveyed members, means for urging said support member away from said conveyed magnetizable members, a, second magnet on the upper side of said support member, a mercury switch, electrical power means connected to said mercury switch, signalling means connected to said mercury switch, said second magnet actuating said mercury switch upon upward movement of said support means in the absence of magnetizable members passing said device, and an indexing member normally in the path of movement of said support member engageable by the conveyed members passing said detecting member for moving said indexing member from the path of movement of said support member.

13. A device for detecting the absence of magnetizable members from conveyed magnetizable and non-magnetizable members comprising a magnet disposed a predetermined distanc from the passing conveyed members for attraction thereby, means for yieldingly supporting said magnet, a controlmember actuated by the movement of said support member and magnet away from said conveyed members upon the absence of a conveyed magnetizable member, and means for normally holding said support member in a pre- RONALD C. HOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,579,404 Stevenson Dec. 18, 1951 

